HOLLYWOOD — The Grammys created a stellar send-off for the late Ray Charles, rewarding his final album with eight trophies including record and album of the year.

“Genius Loves Company,” a collection of duets with the likes of Elton John, Willie Nelson and Van Morrison and reportedly his 250th album, nabbed top album honors. Charles personally won five trophies at the 47th annual Grammy ceremony held at Staples Center.

It was only the second time in history that an album of the year Grammy was awarded posthumously (1980’s “Double Fantasy” by John Lennon was the first).

“Here We Go Again,” which Charles recorded with Norah Jones, took home record of the year and the pop collaboration trophy. Charles also won for pop vocal album and gospel perf for his recording of “Heaven Help Us All” with Gladys Knight.

Related

“Genius Loves Company” was deemed best engineered non-classical album, winning mini-gramophones for the disc’s eight engineers, as well as best surround sound album. The track “Over the Rainbow,” featuring Charles and Johnny Mathis, earned a win for arranger Victor Vanacore.

Charles had won 12 awards prior — all in R&B and pop categories — dating back to 1960 and most recently for the 1993 R&B male vocal perf. Charles died June 10 at the age of 73, less than two months before the release of “Genius Loves Company.”

The double win is the first time an indie label, Concord, has achieved the feat since Ode did it with Carole King’s 1971 recordings. Concord released the disc with Starbucks possessive Hear Music.

In the other major categories, John Mayer won song of the year for “Daughters,” a top 30 radio hit for the last five months. And Maroon 5, which released its debut album “Songs About Jane” in June 2002, was named best new artist.

Joe Adams, Charles’s manager for 50 years, spoke for the assembled team onstage to accept the album award. “I’m gonna thank all of you people on behalf of Ray Charles and I’ll simply say it again — we humbly accept this wonderful honor. We offer humongous thanks, individually and collectively.”

Alicia Keys was the other big winner, taking home four awards. Jones, Usher, Kanye West and U2 won three each. Taking home a pair were Ben Harper, Loretta Lynn, Mayer, Prince, Kanye West, engineer Al Schmitt, conductor Lorin Maazel and classical composer John Adams.

Jones became the first artist to win a record of the year prize and then return to win another for appearing on another artist’s album.

The win for record of the year is the fourth time a duet has won the top prize. Santana and Rob Thomas were the most recent (for their 1999 recording of “Smooth”); others were Natalie and Nat King Cole and Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto.

The Ray-fest included a perf of “Georgia on My Mind” by Alicia Keys and “Ray” star Jamie Foxx, and Bonnie Raitt, backed by organist Billy Preston, dueting on “Do I Ever Cross Your Mind” with Charles’s recording.

Albums that went up against Charles, for the most part, won their genre trophies. Keys nabbed the R&B album award, Kanye West was annointed with the rap album award and Green Day’s politically minded “American Idiot” won for rock album. Loretta Lynn’s “Van Lear Rose” blocked Tim McGraw from the winner’s circle in the country album category.

The one category in which Charles lost was traditional R&B vocal perf, which Prince’s “Musicology” won. Charles and B.B. King’s recording of “Sinner’s Prayer” was nominated.

“This is the best Grammys I have ever seen,” Bono said while complimenting the rock acts U2 was up against.

Motorhead, Rod Stewart and Brian Wilson won the first Grammys of their lengthy careers while other artists posted their first wins in decades. Nancy Wilson won her first Grammy (for jazz vocal album) since picking up the 1964 R&B recording trophy. Loretta Lynn won her first awards in 33 years, taking home country album and country collaboration trophies.

The Blind Boys of Alabama, which had been around for 60 years before winning, won a gospel award for the fourth year in a row.

The first Hawaiian music album trophy went to Palm Records’ various artist collection “Slack Key Guitar Volume 2.”

Top nominee Kanye West said, “Everybody wanted to know what I’d do if I didn’t win,” he said while accepting his award. “I guess we’ll never know.”

Black Eyed Peas oversaw the 12-minute opening of the show, weaving their “Let’s Get It Started” through perfs by Gwen Stefani and Eve, Los Lonely Boys, Maroon 5 and Franz Ferdinand. In the opening remarks of host Queen Latifah and the first award presentation, much was made of the kudoscast’s ability to cover a multitude of musical genres. To reinforce that notion, telecast honored lifetime achievement recipients Pinetop Perkins, the legendary blues pianist, and the late jazz drummer Art Blakey.

Eleven of the 107 awards were given out during the televised portion of the Grammy Awards. Ceremony was heavy on film actors — among them Kevin Bacon, Matthew McConaughey, Billy Bob Thornton and Quentin Tarantino — presenting awards and handling introductions.

Compilation soundtrack winner Zach Braff, for “Garden State,” urged artists in the pre-telecast audience, “When a filmmaker calls and says ‘I have no money,’ please take a look at the scene” before saying no.

COMPILATION SOUNDTRACK ALBUM FOR A MOTION PICTURE, TELEVISION OR OTHER VISUAL MEDIA“Garden State” — Various artists (Epic/Sony Music Soundtrax/Fox Music)

SCORE SOUNDTRACK ALBUM FOR A MOTION PICTURE, TELEVISION OR OTHER VISUAL MEDIA“The Lord of the Rings — The Return of the King” — Howard Shore, composer (Howard Shore) (Reprise/WMG Soundtracks)

SONG WRITTEN FOR A MOTION PICTURE, TELEVISION OR OTHER VISUAL MEDIA“Into the West” — Annie Lennox, Howard Shore, Fran Walsh, songwriters (Annie Lennox) (track from “The Lord of the Rings — The Return of the King”) (Reprise/WMG Soundtracks; publishers: New Line Tunes/BMG Music Publishing)

Sign Up for Daily Insider Newsletter

See Winners HOLLYWOOD — The Grammys created a stellar send-off for the late Ray Charles, rewarding his final album with eight trophies including record and album of the year. “Genius Loves Company,” a collection of duets with the likes of Elton John, Willie Nelson and Van Morrison and reportedly his 250th album, nabbed top album […]

See Winners HOLLYWOOD — The Grammys created a stellar send-off for the late Ray Charles, rewarding his final album with eight trophies including record and album of the year. “Genius Loves Company,” a collection of duets with the likes of Elton John, Willie Nelson and Van Morrison and reportedly his 250th album, nabbed top album […]

See Winners HOLLYWOOD — The Grammys created a stellar send-off for the late Ray Charles, rewarding his final album with eight trophies including record and album of the year. “Genius Loves Company,” a collection of duets with the likes of Elton John, Willie Nelson and Van Morrison and reportedly his 250th album, nabbed top album […]

See Winners HOLLYWOOD — The Grammys created a stellar send-off for the late Ray Charles, rewarding his final album with eight trophies including record and album of the year. “Genius Loves Company,” a collection of duets with the likes of Elton John, Willie Nelson and Van Morrison and reportedly his 250th album, nabbed top album […]

See Winners HOLLYWOOD — The Grammys created a stellar send-off for the late Ray Charles, rewarding his final album with eight trophies including record and album of the year. “Genius Loves Company,” a collection of duets with the likes of Elton John, Willie Nelson and Van Morrison and reportedly his 250th album, nabbed top album […]

See Winners HOLLYWOOD — The Grammys created a stellar send-off for the late Ray Charles, rewarding his final album with eight trophies including record and album of the year. “Genius Loves Company,” a collection of duets with the likes of Elton John, Willie Nelson and Van Morrison and reportedly his 250th album, nabbed top album […]

See Winners HOLLYWOOD — The Grammys created a stellar send-off for the late Ray Charles, rewarding his final album with eight trophies including record and album of the year. “Genius Loves Company,” a collection of duets with the likes of Elton John, Willie Nelson and Van Morrison and reportedly his 250th album, nabbed top album […]